Can opening key



May 2, 1961 L, LEA 2,982,438

CAN OPENING IEY Filed July 1 9, 1960 FIG.5

INVENTOR, LAWRENCE LEA,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent CAN OPENING KEY Lawrence Lea, 1683 University'Ave, Bronx, N.Y.

Filed July 19, 1960, Ser. No. 43,797 2 claims. ((1220-52) The present invention relates to the can-opening art where a key having its shank in engagement with the rip tab end of a comparatively narrow, circumferential tear-out band which is part of a closed can is turned to cause the band to be progressively severed from the can body and wound up on said key shank; said key while being revolved, moving around the can. 7

In working the key, the first few turns of the band thereon, wind up in flat spiral form. From then on, the winding is likely to be haphazard due to the shifting of the key along the vertical and the bending and curling of the band. Various attempts have been made to have the band wind up entirely in flat spiral form. But these require as before, that the key be held at a certain height to follow the band line with substantial precision and the cost to make them, makes their use prohibitive.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved key construction related to the can to be operated on, which automatically holds the key in its movement around the can, in precise position to effect a perfect fiat spiral wind up. The operator is never called upon to adjust the key position in relation to the band.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved key related to the can to be operated on, which is guided and held by the can in proper position to effect a perfect flat spiral wind up, while the key is turned.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved key related to the can to be operated on, having the attributes mentioned, which is cheap to manufacture, positive in action effected by a novel relationship it has with the can body during its operation and which is efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed. Also, provision is made to house the key on the outside of the can, within the confines of the can, so that the can and key are unitary until the can is to be opened.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For the practice of this invention, one form the new key may assume,-is to have a shank with a handle at one end; said shank having a lengthwise opening therethrough, to receive the rip tab end of the tear-out band of the can. Between said handle and opening, the shank is provided with a shoulder around it. The underside of said shoulder is a surface perpendicular to the axis of the shank. It is important, that dimensions are such that when the rip tab is entered through said opening in the shank, the underside of the shoulder rests on the peripheral edge of an end of the can. The shoulder may be a disc on the shank, which may be attached thereto in various manners, or the entire key may be formed of one piece of wire where the shoulder may be a ring form around the shank. These are mentioned as examples of this invention and specific embodiments thereof will now be described in detail, for which I refer Patented May 2, 1961 to the accompanying drawing constituting part of this specification. I

In the drawing, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. a

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a can whose tear-out band is partly severed therefrom and wound up on the shank of a key which is used to open said can. Said key is so constructed in relation to the can structure, as is taught by this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the key shown in Fig. 1, as it is originallymanufactured, namely, with an end tab to be welded to the can body.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the can, with part thereof in section, to show the welded-on key and to show the can end which is formed to house the keywithin the confines of the can, until the key is to be used.

Fig. 4 is a front'perspective view of a key of modified construction.

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4 shown in orthographic projection.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a can whose tubular body portion 16 has a comparatively narrow, circumferential, severable band section 17 which has a rip tab 18 as one terminus. As is well known, when the rip tab is pulled laterally away from the can body 16, the tear-out band 17 is progressively severed therefrom. This can be easily accomplished by using a key indicated generally by the numeral 19, whose shank 20 has a lengthwise slot 21 therethrough to receive the end tab 18 therethrough. Upon turning the key, the band 17 is progressively torn from the can body while being wound up on said shank.

However, I provide a shoulder 24 around the shank 20, between the handle 22 and the shanks opening 21. This shoulder may be a disc having a central hole to receive the shank; such disc being secured to said shank at 23, as indicated in Fig. 2. The disc 24 is perpendicular to the axis of shank 20. It is important that the distance from the underside of the disc to the slot 21 should be such, that when such undersurface is rested on perimetrical edge 25 of an end of the can 15, the tab 18 y can he slid into said slot 21. The key 19 so positioned,

and said tab entered into such slot, the key is turned and pressed against said perimetrical edge 25, whereupon said tear-out band 17 will be progressively severed from V the can body and wound up on the key shank 20. Because of the uniform position of the key in relation to the band section 17, the convolutions of the band around the key shank will be in a flat spiral form. Said peripheral edge 25 and the shoulder 24, co-operate to act as a sort-of gage to hold the wind up 26 in true fiat spiral format.

If desired, the key may be made of one piece of wire to include its required shoulder. Such construction is indicated generally by the numeral 19" in the Figs. 4 and 5 where the ring shoulder 28' has one of its ends formed with an inward radial extension 30 extending to the rings center region. Then from said extension there is the downward bend-down to form the shank 34' which 7 The shoulders may be other than circular and the can may be of a shape other than cylindrical.

In original manufacture, each key is provided with :1

flat tab extension 35, for welding it onto the bottom of a can and then capable of being broken off at a weakened section 35' when the can is to be opened. The can bottom is formed with suitable wells 36 and 37' to house the key within its confines; the well 37 being for the shoulder portion which is to one side of the shank.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a closed can of the type having a circumferential tear-out band section terminating in a freely extending rip tab exterior exteriorly of the can, a key to remove said band section from the can, made of one piece of wire bent to form a ring intermediate the ends of such wire piece; one end of said ring having an extension which extends inwardly radially t0 the center of said ring and said radial extension having an extension perpendicular to the plane of said ring, forming a shank; said shank having a lengthwise opening therethrough; the other end of the ring having an extension which extends upwardly from, diametrically across and above said ring and then downwardly to that portion of the ring which is diametrically opposite the said other end of the ring, said other end extension forming solely a handle which lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the ring; said ring being intermediate said shank and handle.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the shank has an extension on its free end and the can is provided with a well extending into one of its ends, said well having a deepened portion in its bottom, the key being housed in said well with the ring portion at one side of the shank positioned within said deepened portion, said shank end extension being secured to the bottom of the well, the key shank having a weakened portion at its junction with said shank extension and said well and deepened portion being of sufficient depth to house the key within the confines of the can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,270 Wakefield Oct. 27, 1942 2,726,007 Harden Dec. 6, 1955 2,783,914 Brady Mar. 5, 1957 2,809,765 De Fazio Oct. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 514,790 Germany Dec. 17, 1930 

